The Mirror of Light
by FunshineXD
Summary: Before the Mirror of Twilight could break, Link jumped through. Now, he must find a way to return to the light world before the darkness residing in the Twilight consumes him and the light world. With light and dark on the verge of chaos, Link must hurry to save both worlds... and himself.
1. Prolouge

**Hey! So, thank you for clicking on my story. Enjoy! Just a note, this story is dedicated to my friend asdfghjkl-jalex! I got the whole idea for the story from her...well sort of. Soon she'll be leaving my area, and I won't be able to see her as often if not ever D: So I thought this up while thinking of her. You rock Jasmine! :DD Stay strong xx  
**

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With a final cry Link thrust his blade into Ganondorf. The Gerudo King screamed and clutched at his chest where the Master Sword was impaled. Despite all his strength he couldn't touch the Holy Blade.

Link stood, panting, a few feet in front of him. Ganondorf continued yelling, the sharp pain not letting up. Slowly, he got to his feet, and with a grimace he began, "Do not think this ends here..." He lunged forward, as if to hit Link one last time, but the pain in his chest prevented him from doing so. "The history of light and shadow will be written in blood!"

He could feel death sneaking up on him, sucking away his life force. He shakily raised his hand and watched as his part of the Triforce, power, slowly faded away.

His eerie gold eyes faded eyes half closed, as he began sinking into unconsciousness. There was a sudden cracking noise as Ganondorf's head jerked back and his eyes turned a pale foggy white, his irises barely visible, as if a thick cloud were blotting them out.

The Dark Lord perished still standing, a true show of his power.

Zelda bowed her head respectfully. She prayed that Din take mercy on his soul - for all he did, and his abuse of the power she entrusted to him. Link, on the other hand, collapsed on all fours. His breathing was rough and labored, quickly becoming a chore for him. Blood, his own and the mighty King's, soaked his clothes.

He squinted upward at the bright light up top the hill. The four light spirits, Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru, hovered over a figure. They stared at him for a moment before fading away. The strange figure remained. Link peered at the image. It seemed to be in the shape of... Midna?

Ignoring the initial pain, Link scrambled to his feet and sprinted up the hill. He had to see, was it, by some miracle of the goddesses, really her? No, it couldn't be... he saw the castle explode, Ganondorf riding towards him triumphantly, Midna's helmet in hand.

The figure turned around and opened her dusty orange eyes, the colour of twilight; they were the same shade of Midna's. She had long orange hair which was highlighted in various spots, its orange colour reminiscent of the sun, dipping down past the horizon at sunset. She was twili - her blue - tinted skin and black robe adorned with glowing twili markings told him that much. The tall woman smirked in his direction, daring him to figure it out. Link knew that smirk very well.

The young hero gasped in disbelief. It was her! A wave of pain hit him, burning throughout his body. He heard her mumble something, but the spinning in his head persisted.

"What? Say something!" She smirked, "Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

Link barely heard anything. Still staring at her he croaked, "M-Midna?"

Before he could get a response he fell forward with a groan, the long, painful, battle with Ganondorf having taken its toll. He briefly saw the two worried princesses' standing over him before his eyes shut and unconsciousness claimed him.

* * *

**And there you have it! Sorry this chapter is really short, but this is just the prologue, so you aren't confused as to what happens next. The real story begins after this! But, on the bright side, this only took me half an hour, or so, to finish writing.  
**

**A MAJOR thank you to Selphie Kinneas 175! Thank you for proof reading, and helping me fix all my grammar mistakes, you made my story so much better! Thanks for all your ideas on where to revise, edit, add or take out a word and all your positive feed back! :D**

**Please leave a review telling me what you think! See you in the next chapter, bye! :DD  
**


	2. Hold On

**Hey there! Sorry this took a bit longer to get out than I wanted it to, but you know, life happens. Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! See you at the bottom! **

* * *

"Link!" the two princesses cried out as they hurried to his side. Midna knelt down by him, and flipped him over onto her lap. She tilted up his upper body slightly, so not to let him choke on his own blood. Zelda crouched down nearby. During the time Midna and Zelda shared a body Zelda had grown quite fond of Link. Seeing him like this was almost too much for her to handle.

"Oh goddesses..." Zelda muttered under her breath. The young hero lay in Midna's lap, chest heaving, as he tried to take in air. By the way he was breathing it looked like he had a few broken ribs. There was a deep gash across his stomach, bright red blood seeping through his clothes and onto Midna's skirt. The colour continued to spread across his green tunic, dying it crimson, a sharp contrast to its usual forest green. His ankle was twisted into a disturbing angle, one not possible unless he had broken it.

Zelda winced as she recalled how he broke it. Ganondorf charged at them, aiming to knock her off Epona so he wouldn't have to deal with her light arrows. He had the Sword of the Sages out, ready to impale the light princess on his blade. The malicious man turned his steed around, making a "U" turn and began charging at them from behind. Seeing this, Link whirled Epona around, putting himself between Zelda and Ganondorf. He tried to use his shield to deflect the attack, but was knocked of his mount from the force of Ganondorf's blow, and landed harshly on the side of his ankle. The result was breaking it. He had just gotten back on Epona, and powered through it, doing his best to kill Ganondorf, not worrying about himself for a minute. Zelda knew that he wouldn't be "fine" as he put it. Noticing that he had taken a bottle of Fairy Tears with him, from the Cave of Ordeals, she insisted he use it. After taking the blessed substance he had more energy, and his wounds temporarily faded away; the tears only helped so much though.

Link groaned in his subconscious state, as most of the Fairy's Tears wore off, and more of the pain began returning to him. His head hung to the right, revealing a nasty bump on his left side. A large red mark stretched from above his pointed ear to underneath his shaggy blond hair. A few drops of blood trickled down the back of his head, where his skull must have cracked. It was a rather hard hit to the head, and looked like it may develop into a concussion. While he was a wolf, Ganon, the Gerudo's beast form, threw Link relentlessly from his back whenever he attempted to bite him.

The worst wound, however, was his nearly severed his right arm. During the one-on-one sword battle the Dark King's enormous blade came down, suddenly and unpredictably on his right shoulder. His shoulder was nearly hacked in half, his arm uselessly dangling by his side. Ganondorf had lowered his guard, and laughed at the hero. Surely he had won; there was no way Link could survive an attack like that. He turned away, looked up, and smirked, as if to taunt the goddesses for their hero's defeat. After a few seconds he broke out into hysterical laughter. While he was laughing, Link saw a chance. Taking this opportunity to end Ganondorf's life, Link jumped forward, and stabbed the King through his chest. Now, blood gushed out of his arm in large amounts.

Zelda choked back a sob. How could Midna stand to see him like this so often? He was losing a lot of blood, his skin turning slightly pale as a result. Resisting the urge to gag, the princess turned away from the sight of the selfless hero's mangled arm.

Midna, on the other hand, seemed to be thinking. She looked downward, as if evaluating Link's wounds. Now that she was back to normal she had her full power back, and could do so much more. She swooped her hand in a circular motion, a roll of bandages appearing in her hand. The two held back tears as they began bandaging the worst of his wounds. He was suffering, the twisted expression on his face worsening when they tightened the bandages.

"Link," Midna began. Zelda knew what she was doing. If they were to prevent Link's concussion from worsening, he'd have to get up; he may sink into a coma if they left him in his current state.

The said hero just groaned, as if to protest to their actions. With the bandages staunching the bleeding on his head, shoulder and stomach, Zelda began to tie his ankle up in a make shift cast.

"Link, you have to get up," Midna said, louder now and shaking him gently. He didn't seem like getting up anytime soon. The twilight princess opened her mouth, about to try again, when Zelda raised a hand to silence her. Taking a deep breath, Zelda proceeded to pull up his shirt. Link groaned painfully in response, and draped his good arm over his chest, in a futile attempt to stop the pain. Zelda delicately moved his hand away, and proceeded to feel the dark purple and black bruise on the right side of his chest. He moaned and his face contorted into a grimace at her gentle touch.

The other princess turned away, fully aware of what would happen next. Zelda concentrated on her part of the Triforce, wisdom, and sent a quick prayer to Nayru. Her finger tips started glowing a faint blue, and Zelda immediately held her hand over the misshaped bruise. Knowing where the damaged bone now was, she gave Link one last sorrowful look before, setting his bone back in place.

The young man's eyes shot open, as he took in a sharp breath, and grasped his side. He looked as if he were trying desperately to hold back a scream. He shut his eyes and a strangled squeak involuntarily left his lips.

A tear slid down Midna's cheek as she remembered the time she had to "fix" Link's leg herself...

* * *

_They were on Death Mountain, looking for a way to get to the Goron elders. There was metal grating that covered a large section of the wall that led to a higher section of the mountain. Seeing as the ladder was broken, Link climbed the fence instead. Upon reaching the top, they were greeted with a not-so-friendly Goron. He prevented the duo from passing, saying they were prohibited to pass. _

_The angry Goron rammed into Link, sending him flying off the cliff. His body tumbled to the ground bellow, and when he landed, he did so on his left leg.  
_

_She remembered how disgusting it had looked, the bone protruding from his skin...and his terrified screams... _

_He asked that she fix it, said he couldn't do it himself. At the time it seemed like a incredulous request; Midna still didn't like him at the time and he was her servant. Seeing as they couldn't continue on their journey to find the Fused Shadow until his leg was patched up she, however reluctantly, obliged. _

_He had passed out from the pain, and truthfully, Midna felt nauseous. Sure, she didn't really care for him, but the pleading look he gave her and his agonized screams would haunt her forever. Light dweller or not, he didn't deserve to be like that.  
_

* * *

Link began coughing, snapping Midna out of her thoughts. A series of violent coughs that sent blood trickling down his jaw followed.

"Do you think..." Midna's voice suddenly cracked, no one knew how important he was to her. Not just because he was Hero, but because he was her best friend; companion. "Do you think we can get back to that shaman in Kakariko?" Her voice was pleading, desperate even, more that Zelda had ever heard before. Midna knew a fatal hit when she saw one.

Zelda looked down sadly at Link. She knew transforming hurt, a lot. She had learned quite a lot from that time while her body and mind was one with Midna's. He looked up at her blankly, not registering what the look on her face meant, due to his concussion. "Link you're going to have to transform"

He closed his eyes and nodded. Sure over the past year, or so, he had gotten able to ignore the pain, mostly. It was very uncomfortable, the snapping and reforming bones, muscles stretching and shrinking, was far from pleasant, and the strain on his body was great, but he had learned to push it aside. However, when he was badly injured, such as now, his body just succumb to the pain, he didn't have the strength to put it aside. It felt like the first time he transformed all over again.

He opened his cerulean blue eyes, and looked up at Midna apprehensively, expecting her to use the crystal.

"I can't heal you completely," Midna began, an orange fog surrounding her hand,"but this may stop the bleeding." She waved her glowing hand above Link and the flow of blood leaving his body ceased immediately. He managed a weak smile at her, before he was engulfed in pain. A few seconds later, the sacred beast lay in Link's place.

Zelda stroke his side, soothingly, and gave him a reassuring smile. His half-lidded eyes looked up to meet that of the princesses. Rising to his paws he waited for Midna to teleport them. His legs felt like they would give out on him at any moment, and he felt like curling up into a ball and sleeping, right then and there, on the floor.

"Hold on, Link," Midna said uneasily, noticing how beat-up Link looked.

The trio erupted into black squares as the headed for their next destination; Kakariko Inn.

**Yay, second chapter! So please don't forget to tell me if you like the story, if there's anything you'd like to see happen, any mistakes to point out or errors. Sorry if I seemed repetitive with what I called Link, i wasn't sure if I should call him Hylian, Hyrulian, or Ordonian. HELP! I didn't want to call him the wrong thing so I just stuck to what I knew. **

**Props to CupcakePride101 for being the first reviewer! You rock! :DD **

**Also, a big thank you to timeloard99, and rebelliousshays for favouriting and following the story so early on!  
**

**MASSIVE THANKS to Selphie Kinneas 175 for taking the time to read, re-read and re-edit my chapter! You helped me remove so many typos and stopped me from going to grammar jail, for my notorious grammar crimes! Thank you so much! I really appreciate you taking the time away from everything that you do to help me improve my writing and solve my every problem. You are so nice to have done that for me, and even when you may have got frustrated with having to point out an error every two seconds you still commented on how some of the things were nice and well worded. :D I am honestly one of the luckiest Fan fiction authors ever to have you helping me! THANK YOU SO MUCH!  
**

**Jmine, this chapter especially was dedicated to you. It was inspired by your story "Little Time Left" with how sad it was with the death, and parents who wouldn't understand and love their son or who he was. I know it's a whole different kind of sad than the whole "battle until the death" thing I have here, but you get the point. That story was really fun to help you write, and I hope someday we'll be able to write the jellybean parody together. D:**

**I'll see you guys in the next chapter :)  
**


	3. Healing A Hero

**Ta-daaaaaaa! Chapter three is here :D I've been working hard to make my chapters longer, so this took a little longer to write, but I think it turned out well. Enjoy! Oh yeah, MERRY CHRISTMAS! :DD  
**

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Silent. It was all the inn had been for hours. It set a somewhat peaceful atmosphere in the inn, but was the very thing tormenting the princesses, making them anything but peaceful. Zelda from her chair, and Midna from the shadows watched and waited for their hero to come to consciousness, and give them a sign – anything – to let them know he would be okay. Link lay there breathing slowly, the only sign of life he had given them, and the only hope the princesses had of him waking up.

The sun rose, signalling the beginning of a new day. Somewhere outside, a stray Cucco yelped a startling wake-up call. Just as Zelda was going to doze off once more, sounds of waking children roused her. Oh yes, Zelda remembered, the village children Link was so fond of. He had spoken to Midna a great number of times about how much he loved them, especially a young boy by the name of Colin.

Colin; the boy Link saw as a brother. The brave, caring, kind boy Link had talked about so often. He must have been very important to Link, for he had been one of the things that made Link continue in his quest during the hardest parts.

On a trip back to Ordon Village, Link had stopped at his house. There were numerous pictures on his walls: the village children, Epona, another man about his age, and the goats he spent his time herding before he became the hero. He spent the night there, got some much needed rest. It was too dangerous to get a full nights' sleep in the dungeons and lands he had been exploring. Here he could finally rest in peace. When he got up he had taken one of the pictures down. Zelda noticed they looked hand-drawn. Link had been quite the artist. He sketched one of the children into a book, a journal, perhaps, ripped the page out, and put it in his adventure pouch, though Zelda didn't see which one he drew. His next destination was Arbiter's Grounds. After being stuck in that dungeon for about a week, Link was about to give up hope. He was injured, dehydrated, and hopeless. He had many bites, all over him, from when those rats jumped on him, and attacked. One bite on his neck was bleeding the most. To heal the bites, that were very prone to infection, Link had looked for his last red potion. He finished it, and just as he was about to put it back, he noticed a slightly crumpled piece of paper sticking out of his pouch. Upon taking it out, he saw it was a picture of a familiar young boy. Smiling, he folded it neatly and put it back in his pouch. She remembered him saying 'You're right Colin. I can't give up. Not while you're waiting for me.' before getting up to finish the rest of the temple. That boy meant the world to Link.

There was the pitter-patter of bare feet on the on the wood floor. A young girl, no older than twelve poked her head in through the door. She had pale skin, with large cyan-coloured eyes. Short brown hair framed her rounded face, and there was a splash of freckles above her nose. Her ears were rounded, unlike Link's, surprisingly. Zelda had always thought Link had come from Ordon Village, but it seemed the people of Ordon had rounder ears than the Hyrulians. Perhaps he moved there, and his parents were from Castle Town, though Zelda didn't know; Link seldom talked about his past.

"Hey, is that…?!" the girl began, stepping in front of the doorway now.

"What is it Beth?" came a quiet voice. Zelda had to check twice to make sure she wasn't seeing double. The boy looked like Link. A _lot_ like Link. He had the same stormy blue eyes as Link, peachy skin, arched eyebrows, and determined look. The only difference between them was their hair – Link's hair was slightly darker and longer, but blonde all the same– and the shape of their ears. By the gods, he even wore the same shade of green as Link's tunic for his pants. They looked like brothers, and if Zelda had to guess, she would have guessed this boy to be the one Link was so fond of; Colin. He must have taken after Link, she laughed, even though she knew they weren't really related.

The girl Zelda inferred to be Beth, covered her mouth with her fists, like she was trying to suppress a million ideas from just bursting out of her. She seemed to dance on the spot in excitement, and squealed, "LOOK! It's Princess Zelda!" The young girl gasped before turning red and dipping into an awkward bow. Zelda smiled at her antics. No wonder Link loved these children; they were so kind and energetic. They lifted her spirits, and made her forget her worries for a minute.

A third child ran to the door to see if what Beth had said was true. He looked to be about eleven, and very energetic. He had a small smirk on his lips, and even had slightly toned arms. Impressive, for an eleven year old that is. He had large green eyes, the colour of a green field in the midst of spring, and arched eyebrows that seemed to exaggerate his excited look. He had full cheeks, and a bright red bandana tied around his unruly brown hair that draped down his right cheek. His blue pants were worn and ripped, as if he had been recently embarking on an adventure of his own, and he dragged a wooden stick with him, that Zelda presumed to be a make-shift sword. His over-all look gave a rough and brave feel. Maybe he took after Link too. He was a great role model after all. Perhaps he was pretending to be Link.

He skidded to a stop and backtracked a few steps after he stopped sliding. He stared in bewilderment at the formally dressed woman in the room. "WHOA! It _is _the princess!" He continued to gawk and point at her, obviously forgetting the rule about it not being polite to point, let alone at a princess, but Zelda didn't mind.

"Talo," the shaman, who had just recently been downstairs, said. "Do not yell, or you'll wake Link." Colin ran up to the beds that were lining the wall. Each had a curtain to separate between them, so the boy ran to the only one with the curtain drawn. Once he pulled it back, he saw a very pale looking body. There in the bed lay Link, clad only in his pants, but was sweating until his bangs stuck to his forehead. The bandages wrapped around various parts of him were beginning to soak through again. Multiple bruises covered his body, and it was obvious that he had broken bones because of the cast he wore on his leg and the extensive wrapping on his shoulder.

The boy sadly moved Link's bangs from his forehead. Resting his palm on Link's forehead, he checked for a temperature, in hopes that his brother, as he saw Link, was merely sick; something that could be cured. "No one told us Link was here." Colin stated quietly, almost wishing Link wasn't here, and that he didn't have to see him like this.

Zelda's heart ached for the little boy. He looked so sad to see Link this way that she felt guilty for not being able to heal all of the Ordonian's wounds on the battle field. Colin began to cry, as his hand recoiled from Link. His temperature was much too high to just be a fever. The shaman had long since run out of potions. Without the proper medicine he could...

Link shifted slightly in discomfort. It was a miracle he hadn't woken up yet, as Link usually was over-alert to his surroundings. It helped him survive on his quest. It was _how _he survived. He must be in desperate need of rest if he were still asleep.

"Is he dead?" a small boy mumbled. Zelda looked at him; she hadn't even noticed him come. He was small and chubby, and looked considerably similar to that loud boy, Talo. His eyes and hair were the same colour as Talo, though he had much less hair than his presumed sibling. His clothing was too big for him, probably hand-me-downs, but they were unusually clean and bright. Expensive looking, though Zelda didn't know where a five year old would get enough money to buy it.

"Hmph. Probably already is."

"Shut up, Malo!" Beth cried, obviously upset that he could say such a thing, "How would you know? You're probably too short to even see him!"

Malo just huffed at her, and then turned away from Colin who was crying even harder, while holding Link's hand.

"Children," Renado scolded, "Link will be fine, so long as he gets his rest." Renado's tone, however slight, wavered at the end, as if he was uncertain, but then continued, "Malo, do you have any red potion left at the store?"

"No," he mumbled, "Those soldiers and Colin's dad bought all of it. Said they needed to go back and find Link." Walking away he mumbled to himself, "…going to be out of stock for…"

Zelda watched intently as the young children protested having to be sent away, when they could help Link get better. Zelda smiled at their innocence. They loved Link, just as all of Hyrule and the Twilight Realm would once they heard of his good deeds. The Twilight Realm. Zelda knew of Midna's plans regarding the Twilight Mirror. She looked to Link's shadow sadly, which shifted uncomfortably at Zelda's gaze.

_If only there were another way, I would… _

After pulling the children away from Link, and out of the room, Renado shut the door. "Princess," he said as he handed her a bowl of porridge, and dipped his head respectfully. The princess accepted the food graciously and smiled at him.

"Thank you,"

"You must rest. You are weary of these recent events. Please, help yourself to a bed and rest. Luda will be up with new sheets and a change of clothes."

"Thank you Renando. Your kindness is greatly appreciated." The shaman took this as his cue to leave, closing the door gently, and leaving a very tired princess in his wake. A few minutes later, Zelda was settled into the bed beside Link's in a fresh cotton gown.

It was a very simple peasant gown; a soft blue, with long sleeves, square neckline, and a matching blue ribbon to tie her hair up with. It felt nice to be out of her normal attire; this felt so cozy. Within minutes Zelda was fast asleep, the stress of the whole situation sinking away with her consciousness.

* * *

It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the darkness in the room. Link blinked a few times before trying to prop himself up into a seated position. He bit into his lip until he drew blood at the sudden pain exploding all over his body. Link gasped before sinking back down onto the bed and groaned as the pain reminded him of his wounds. His head ached, bandages were soaked through, his chest was bare (except for the multiple bandages), but he was sweating, his right arm was burning, as if it were on fire, and he couldn't move it, he felt weak, and his left leg was wrapped tightly and propped up on a stool. It even hurt to breathe. Shivering, he reached for a blanket with his good arm, but found there was none.

"Hey, take it easy!" Midna chimed, as she appeared from his shadow. Link opened his shut eyes – it was his way of dealing with pain – and gazed at her. It took a while before he registered that Midna was indeed the _woman_ standing in front of him, and not still an imp.

"Am I really that beautiful?" Link smiled and wondered how she always was able to read his expression like that in the dark.

"How long…" he found it hard to speak, and tasted something bitter in his mouth.

Midna laughed, "You've been asleep for one day," and noticing the disgusted look on his face, she continued, "and Renado gave you some alcohol as a pain killer."

"Yuck!" Link said, making a sour face, as if he'd eaten a lemon. He had never been one to drink, and never planned on it.

"So," Midna began, changing the subject, "how are you feeling?"

"Could've been better," Link coughed. Truthfully, he just wished he could chug the whole bottle of alcohol, despite its vile taste, and drift back off into a painless dream-land again. Now talking was becoming difficult too.

Changing the subject yet again, Midna said, "I…I just wanted you to know that I'm so proud of you. I really…enjoyed our time together." Her voice cracked, and she mentally hit herself for finding this so hard to say to the man she owed everything to. He had saved Hyrule, the Twilight realm, the citizens _and _her, yet she couldn't spit out a simple thank you. Of course, she knew this was more than just a thank you, but a sort of good-bye too. Luckily for her, Link already seemed to be drifting off to sleep, and didn't notice her wavering tone.

"Don't be so sad," he paused to yawn, "I'll visit you in the Twilight Realm…and you can come here too…"

"Link," she said quietly, as tears filled her eyes. "I-"

The door creaked open, and Midna dove back into Link's shadow without finishing her sentence.

"Link," Renado called softly, unsure if he was asleep or not.

"Hmmm?" Link's sleepy voice answered. He looked up at the shaman, half-asleep.

"Good to see you awake," Renado said, trying to engage the young man into conversation, so he wouldn't fall asleep. He brought a bottle of hard alcohol to Link's lips, and forced him to drink it. After a few sips Link began sputtering and choked on the strong substance. After Renado helped him up, Link finished the drink. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmm okay…" Renado began unwrapping the wet bandage around Link's torso, as Link's speech became slurred from all the alcohol he had.

"I'm sorry I don't have any potions to heal you with. I used them all on the soldiers that came here. You know them don't you? The resistance group. Rusl said that they made it out of the castle before it blew up, except for Auru. He…didn't quite make it out in time, but they went back to look for you."

"Oww," Link whined in his delusional state, oblivious to what Renado was telling him. "That hurts!" The shaman continued to sterilize, and then stitch back together, the gash across Link's stomach, despite his protests. They had been stretched, and a few broken. Renado sighed; Link must have been trying to get up. Stitches didn't usually break that easily, but then again, this was just normal thread. The shaman had used the better quality thread on the soldiers that had come here. He had thought that Link would go to the Castle Town doctor, or even Telma's Bar to be treated. After all, wasn't the battle with Ganondorf fought at Hyrule Castle? In fact, Renado didn't understand_ how _Link got here in his current state. He could barely stay awake, let alone make the long journey from Hyrule Castle to Kakariko Village to be treated. All Link could do was grit his teeth, as the sharp metal weaved its way through his skin.

"Ungh…" Link grunted when the shaman proceeded to sterilize his shoulder too. He dug his head into the pillow his head was resting on, to relieve the pounding in his head. Sensing Link's discomfort, Renado made him drink some more of the strong alcohol, and before long, Link was fast asleep. After tending to Link's other wounds, the shaman wiped the sweat from Link, and left to go get him a blanket. Sweating but cold... Renado wondered, perhaps he is sick too. He made haste to get Link his blanket.

"Oh Link," Midna cried, emerging from his shadow. She gently traced where a single tear had escaped Link's eye. He had been in so much pain, even though he was quite out of it from all the alcohol he had been forced to consume. She couldn't begin to imagine what it must have felt like to get so badly injured. "I'm so sorry. For pushing you past your breaking point and hurting you even more. I'm sorry I was so selfish. I-I'm sorry for using you. I'm sorry for all I did…and what I'm going to do." Midna continued to sob quietly, wetting the Ordonian's chest, but not waking up Zelda. There was so much more she had to tell him. So much to thank him for, but she uttered not a word. It wouldn't matter after this, anyways. She was lost in her own guilt. Submerged in the sinking feeling that all she had done was hurt him, and all she would continue to do is hurt him. She was drowning in her own failures.

She didn't hear Renado come in. He stood, frozen at the door, shocked at the sight of a third… something, whatever _it _was, inside. He grabbed his dagger; he always had one on him in case of an emergency, and slowly made his way over to the weeping…_thing_. Midna turned at the sound of footsteps, and screamed when she saw a blade coming down at her.

"Stop!"

The shaman stopped just inches away from Midna. He turned to Zelda, who had just awoken.

"Princess?"

"Renado. Put down your weapon." Zelda said sternly, but calm. "This is no enemy."

"Forgive me, princess, but this _thing _is a monster. How can you trust it? "

"Do you not trust my judgement?"

"I'm sorry, I –"

"Don't scold him Zelda," Midna cut in, "the scene must have looked very misleading. He must have thought that I was here to harm Link. After all, I don't exactly look human." She added the last part in an attempt to make light of the situation, but Zelda didn't laugh or even smile.

Sighing Zelda said, "You're right Midna." She looked at the shaman and continued, " Renado, this is Princess Midna, rightful heir to the Twilight throne."

"A Twili," Renado mused, setting down his blade, earning a sigh of relief from the Twilight Princess. "So then, the rumours are true about the Usurper King of Twilight invading Hyrule?"

"Yes,"

"I am terribly sorry for my rash behaviour…Princess Midna. I assumed you were one of Ganondorf's minions, here to finish Link off while he was sleeping."

Smiling at him, Midna replied, "It's okay. It is good to meet you in person. You've healed Link so many times on his journey. He probably wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you."

Link began shivering again, and stirred in his sleep. Renado got up and wrapped Link's body as gently as he could, in the blanket and thanked Midna for her kind words.

Suddenly serious, Renado said, "Princesses," his voice was filled with remorse, "I fear Link may not survive this time. He has lost too much blood, and I think his wounds have been infected." Zelda's eyes went wide, and filled with tears. Her mouth opened slightly to say something, but Midna got to it first.

"No. That can't be. Link is Link, he never gives up!" Midna shouted, crying now. She didn't want to believe the words she was hearing. After all they had been through he couldn't just die on her now.

_Zelda…_

The princess grasped at her head. Power surged through her, and it left her with a massive headache.

"It's okay Midna…" Link managed in a raspy voice. He must have woken up when she began yelling. "I'm ready this time…"

"NO! You are not giving up on me Link!" She squeezed his left hand tightly, almost to reassure herself that he was still there. He squeezed back weakly.

"I've done my job. Everyone is finally safe."

"Link, don't talk like that! You'll be fine!" Tears poured down her face, and she looked to Zelda for assistance. Zelda just watched Link sadly, and let the tears slide down her face too.

"I'll be –" A wave of pain rocked through his body, effectively silencing the rest of his sentence. He moaned loudly, and squeezed Midna's hand with all the strength he had left in an attempt to stop the pain. More tears spilled from her eyes at the agony he was in. Link took in a sharp breath and continued, "- fine."

_Remember your powers… _

Zelda gasped at the pain exploding in her head.

Link's breathing sped up, and he started sweating from all the internal turmoil he was going through. Knowing that it wouldn't be much longer, Link smiled, "Good-bye…" Slowly, the pain began fading away, and he felt… peaceful.

"LINK!" Midna screamed. His hand lost its grip on hers, and slid down. His smile was still there, but his eye lids drooped shut. "Don't do this to me Link! You can't die!"

_Zelda… The Triforce…_

Her hands began glowing a bright blue. Zelda had been able to use a tiny fraction of the power entrusted to her before, but nothing like this. Hearing the beautiful voice call her name once more, Zelda knew what she had to do.

* * *

**Sorry if you are confused about the point of view. I won't be writing in first person very much, if at all. I like writing in third person, but from the perspective of one person. At the beginning of the story it is in Zelda's perspective, but in third person, so you see what Zelda what sees and notices, but not in first person.  
**

**The way I tried to portray Zelda, was as an observant and smart person. So I described how the children looked, because this is the first time Zelda is seeing them (well, at least in her own body) and this is what she noticed. And, because I wanted her to show her wisdom (being the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom and all) I made her infer who was who, and how old the children were.  
**

**As for the voices in italics, the first one is Midna, talking from the shadows, and the second is for you to find out :P I think it is kind of obvious, but I'll be leaving clues along the way to hint at who they may be. BTW Zelda was worried about Link while he was dying, so don't worry, she wasn't just some self-centered princess worrying about a simple headache while the hero was dying beside her. She was getting some..._divine messages. _Some important divine messages :P  
**

**Sorry there wasn't much Midna in this chapter, there will be a LOT more of her soon, and less of Zelda, so I just wanted to give Zelda some time to shine. **

**About Link's house... I was playing Twilight Princess, and got the idea to add in something about his house. I remember seeing a diary or journal on his table that had drawings inside. So, Link draws. He also has pictures on his wall of Beth, Colin, Talo, Malo, Fado, Epona and the goats. Well, its in not like they had camera's in Ordon, so I figured Link drew them. He does draw in his book too, so why not? I would have added in some more detail about his house, but to do that I would have to be able to go inside Link's house, and I can't. As it is, I'm stuck in Lakebed Temple, and can't warp out (even though I do have Ooccoo) because I can't figure out how to leave the Lanayru province :/ So I'll figure it out, add the detail later. I didn't want to keep you waiting for another chapter any longer, so I just left it at that.  
**

**Thanks to veggiefruit, CupcakePride101, Selphie Kinneas 175, and Angelsong2001 for reviewing. Reviews make my day! :DD **

**Also, thank you veggiefruit, genericperson, Lady Isludis, 14shadowrose, Angelsong2001, and CupcakePride101 for favouriting and following my story!**

**veggiefruit, thanks for your advice and kind words! And, what do you mean by "snoehead"? Are you referring to Snowpeak? If so, I think Snowpeak is part of Hyrule because Snowpeak is park of the Snowpeak Province, so it should be. **

**CupcakePride101, thank you, once again, for reviewing. It makes me so happy to know that I have consistent readers, especially one that reviews every chapter. :) Thank you!**

**Angelsong2001, thanks for your compliments. I was having a bit of writers block, and then I got your review; it brightened my day! Needless to say, you helped me over it :P Thank you! It's also nice to know that my writing can make you feel an emotion, like sadness. Luckily, now I do have a lot of inspiration ;)  
**

**Thanks for telling me I have improved Selphie! You have no idea how much it means to me, coming from a great reader like you. Also, thanks for pointing out that error with Renado's name. I can't believe I've been mispronouncing his name all this time .**


	4. Shattered

The sounds all drowned out around Zelda as she lost all consciousness of the world. Zelda did not hear Midna's desperate cries for Link to wake up, nor did she see Renado jump out of the room to stop the village children from coming in upon hearing screams and crying. She did not hear the children's voices, high with worry at what was going on. She didn't see, feel or hear. The beautiful voice that had just recently been talking to her, faded away leaving the familiar tingling feeling she felt whenever she tried to use magic. No, instead, she heard the same three note melody play over and over and over again in her head.

_B A F, B A F… _

It sounded sad and empty, like it was incomplete. It started high, and then the notes descended, becoming lower. It sounded soft, like a flute, but not quite, though Zelda couldn't put her finger on it. The instrument sounded familiar to the Hyrulian princess, as if it were a distant memory resurfacing. Zelda wondered what the rest of the song was. Surely the three notes weren't the whole song? It sounded depressing, yet hopeful, empty, but full of promise, broken and forgotten all at the same time. Oddly enough, it was calming, soothing even. Distant memories of a hero, remarkably similar to Link appeared. He was a boy, then a man, then a boy again. He wielded the Master Sword, and played a strange blue instrument.

_An ocarina… _Zelda thought, automatically picturing it in the ancient music book she had once seen. That was the sound she heard! The boy appeared again, this time playing the instrument. Its soft notes rang out as a sad withered tree came into focus. It was horribly bent, twisted beyond recognition, and it had a sad face. It seemed to cry along with the grown Deku Shrub wailing at its side.

_B A F, B A F…_

_A dead Goron hero regrets not being able to help his people. The song continues, and he lets go, his legend living on in the mask he left behind. A young Goron child cries in the cold for his missing father. _

_The soft notes ring out as a dying Zora dissipated into the air, leaving behind nothing but a mask. A woman stares blankly out at the sea and mourns the loss of her eggs, her children. _

_B A F, B A F… _

_A talented dancer regrets not passing on his dance. He waits to share his knowledge, but knows he can't. He waits, bound to the land by his regrets. _

_A cursed man hides in the closet. A young girl, his daughter locks the doors and cares for him, even though he is becoming "one of them". _

_B A F, B A F…_

Instinctively, Zelda reached for Link, not even realizing she was doing so. She cupped his face in her hands, and begun to softly hum the notes. As she begun humming the melody louder, her hands started to glow even brighter. A warm feeling surged through her hands, and into Link. His body was enveloped in a bright white light. It looked as though it was swallowing him whole, and it illuminated Zelda's face with a divine glow. Her hair looked so pale; it could easily be mistaken for blonde, and the light cast shadows on her face that made her look so much older. For a second, Midna didn't know _who _she was looking at – Zelda or someone else. Confused, she dismissed the topic, and thought it to be the shadows making Zelda's face look so distorted and different.

Midna stared at Zelda through red, puffy eyes. Her face was damp with tears, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. Zelda seemed to be in some sort of trance. Her eyes were closed, and she kept repeating that tune. Whatever it was, Link was reacting to it. His body was glowing, almost supernaturally, in some sort of holy white light. The twilli wondered if she was easing his soul away, transferring it to the Sacred Realm. Could that be what Zelda was doing? Midna didn't know; there was still so much she didn't understand, or even know about these light dwellers. They were so confusing. If she were easing him into the Sacred Realm, the place those light dwellers believed their soul went to in the afterlife, that meant there was no chance of him getting back up. Ever. Tears filled her eyes at the thought, as the full reality of the situation hit her. She could warp to Castle Town and buy some potions for him. Or, maybe, try using those medical herbs, and "homemade remedies" she had seen Link so often use. Midna considered stopping Zelda from continuing her mantra. They couldn't give up hope yet! Link had never given up, so why should they? For love of Faroe, they could even take him to the Twilight Realm, where the technology, which far surpassed Hyrule's, would be able to help him. There was still a chance! But they couldn't, and Midna knew that. Getting him there would require transforming him into a wolf, which would utterly kill any hope of his survival, and even if that didn't kill him, the wait would. Her land had its own problems, its own people to heal, regardless of who showed up at their doorstep dying. Just getting to the hospital, if it had not been destroyed by Zant, would take too long, and even then, who was to say that her people still loved her? She was a traitor to them, a princess who fled their country and abandoned her people when they needed her most. Getting Link there would be nearly impossible. She cried some more. He truly was gone, wasn't he?

_Perhaps it's for the best,_ a small, annoyingly optimistic, part of her thought_. At least I won't have to make him choose between the Light and Twilight worlds._ Midna surprised herself with how selfishly, and morbidly, she was thinking. How could she even consider taking him away?

She sniffed, trying her best to stop crying. At least he was at peace now. He wouldn't be hurt any more, wouldn't have to worry. The weight of the world was off his shoulders, he was free now. Too bad he was so young. Tragic, really, how he never really got to enjoy his whole life. But Midna knew him, and he wouldn't have wished any other way. She remembered asking him on his quest why he always just did what others told him to do, without any question, or even hesitation. He didn't choose his fate, so why did he always just go along with it, like it was something he deserved? What he said changed her view of him forever.

"_What do you mean 'why?'?" He asked, setting down the barrel of steaming hot water to rest for a moment._

"_How come?" Midna huffed at him, getting impatient with the way he tended to get side tracked helping people so often. "Why do you just go around helping people like it's your job? _

_He thought for a minute. "Because," he paused to lift up the heavy barrel, and continued, "it _is _my job" _

"_What?! That doesn't even make any sense!" Midna said with an exasperated sigh. Of all things he could be doing right now, he decided to go carry a big barrel full of hot water to some lazy Goron, just to wake him up, and for what? Because some shrivelled-up old Goron said that a "young one" was missing? _

"_All I've ever heard was that it's my job." He took a deep breath, and wiped the sweat from his face onto his shoulder. "Everyone says that I'm the only one who can save everybody. That we all stand no chance against evil without me. What am I supposed to do? Just sit back and watch my home be destroyed? You know I can't do that, especially with so many lives depending on me." _

"_Don't you ever wonder why they chose you?" Midna asked, slightly in awe of selfless nature. _

"_No." Link said simply, before setting down the barrel to dispatch of some monster that strayed a little too close to their precious cargo. "Why not me? I've lived a good life, and if it's the goddesses who chose me, then I doubt they made a mistake. This is my purpose. I wouldn't want anyone else having to do this." He picked up the barrel and continued, "I don't care if it's saving the entire world, or helping Sera find her cat again . I can't just _not_ help people. They depend on me: the children, the Gorons, the Zoras, the princess, the people. It's all the same. It's not that I _have_ to help them. I _want _to." _

At least, Midna sighed, she'd have good memories. She forced herself to look at Link, and tried to ignore the hopeless, guilty, angry feeling inside her. _And this is what "helping" gets you,_ she thought bitterly. Midna felt like screaming at how unfair this was. Link had gone through so much for Hyrule, for the Twilight Realm; for everyone. Yet, here he was, dead, motionless and cold. Most of the people didn't know him. In fact, they were probably bustling about; going back to their normal routine, unaware of the young hero's many sacrifices. They'd rebuild their castle, their homes and buildings. They'd replant the dead crops, harvest them, and be on their way. Those could all be replaced. Link couldn't be. Midna felt the anger bubble inside of her. He was her best friend, like another half of her. Him being gone was like being torn apart. Torn, ripped to shreds; empty, desperate and hopeless. After he (and princess Zelda) saved her life they had become inseparable – literally. Sure she was bound to him by his shadow, but now they didn't mind each others company. In fact, they enjoyed it. From then on forward they trusted each other, cared and worried for each other.

The bright light around Link dulled into a soft blue, and then faded away completely. For some reason the room seemed much darker. Even the candles looked gloomy, but the young woman continued her song.

Zelda opened her eyes, and pulled Link up, into a seated position. Stoking his pale face ever so gently, she mumbled, "You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?" For reasons unknown to Midna, it sent shivers down her spine. The way Zelda said it was so… chilling. The regal woman brushed his hair out of his eyes before continuing the tune. She gently stoked his face again, and a small cut just below his eye began disappearing, not even leaving a scar behind.

"Zelda? Zelda, what's wrong with you?" Midna asked, not seeing the cut turn into a scar, and then fade away. She was beginning to worry about the princesses' strange behaviour. It was slightly unnerving, and for all Midna knew, she could be possessed. Maybe she wasn't helping Link, after all…

"Zel –" The twili begun, but stopped immediately when Link's eyes shot open. He gasped, as if he had been underwater for a long time, only coming up for air now. He coughed, and stared at Zelda with wide, stunned eyes. _Link was… alive?!_

"The song of healing," he breathed, and for a moment he looked like another person altogether. He looked younger, so much younger, like a boy again. The moment ended as quickly as it started, leaving Midna so confused, that for once she was speechless. Why did weird things like that keep happening? Midna gaped at Link, trying to form words to express her overwhelming emotions.

"You – you're here… You're alive!" Midna began crying, purely from relief and joy. She waited for Link to reassure her, tell her that it was true, and that she wasn't dreaming, but that never came. She looked at the two. They didn't seem to know she was there. Curious, and slightly hurt, Midna inched closer, about to grab Link's arm, and make sure she wasn't seeing things.

"Princess, you – you – " Link stammered from shock, "that song…" He studied her face, as if this was his first time seeing her, "How did you know it?"

Snapping out of her trance, she admitted, "I – I don't exactly know. It was like I always knew it." She wasn't lying, hearing the song almost filled her with nostalgia, even though she couldn't remember why. Should she remember it, or was it just another gift from the goddesses? Tears filled her eyes, and she pulled the Ordonian into a tight hug, surprising everyone – including herself. Link's back stiffened, and his face went beet-red at the sudden, unexpected, embrace. The tips of his ears turned red too, just as they always did when he was embarrassed. Midna bit the inside of her lip. She wasn't supposed to do that! A pang of jealousy made the twili turn away. The sounds of Zelda's muffled cries were the only sound in the room. It made Link relax; for some reason he found it reassuring. He hugged her back, and quietly whispered, "Thank you,"

Zelda just squeezed him tighter and said, "You're really alive," She didn't care how "improper" it was for her to hug him. All that mattered to her was that he was here. He was here, and he was alive. The young woman continued to cry, Link rubbing her back gently to comfort her. She laughed inwardly; she was supposed to be comforting _him. _Instead it was the opposite. As much as she hated to admit it, Zelda liked the way Link was holding her.

Midna watched the two people in front of her. She felt a twinge inside of her, like a spark. She felt suffocating, angry and hurt all at the same time. It flickered throughout her, making her feel the need to change the subject. "Link!" she cried, instantly making the two let go of each other. There was a pause, and before it could become awkward, Midna hugged Link.

Link, much to her surprise, pulled away slightly. Midna had never been the sentimental kind before, so why was she now? Midna tightened her grip on him, and murmured, "You're okay," trying hard to mask the hurt in her voice. Why had he hugged Zelda back, but not her? He had always been closer to her, had spent the past months, past _year, _in fact, with her, but was holding Zelda like that after a day? She let go of him, ashamed that she was feeling jealous of the woman that had just saved his life. If anything, she should be thanking her, but instead, was wishing she wasn't here. Midna didn't feel like sharing her pet wolf. Selfish though it was, she didn't want to. But why did she feel this way? Could she actually -? Midna berated herself for thinking like that. Why does it matter anyways? In a day, maybe two, she would leave. She would break the mirror and leave behind everyone, and everything she had come to love about the Light World. What was the use in getting overly-attached now?

Link frowned as he looked at Midna. Why was she so upset? He was here now, wasn't he? "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, perplexed at all the emotions on the Twili princess' face.

Before Midna could respond, Renado walked in the room. He kept his eyes on the ground, a grim look plastered on his face. "The children are sleeping, now. I just don't know how to tell them that Link-"

"That Link what?" the young man cut in with a cheeky grin.

"Link, good heavens, you're alive?!" Renado jumped, obviously startled by hearing the "dead man's" voice.

"Hey, after all I've been through, you thought I was going to go down without a fight?"

"But how-"

"I –" Zelda began, getting off the edge of Link's bed. Upon standing, she wavered, and almost fell over. Link reached out to steady her. She gave an awkward laugh, before smiling and saying, "Sorry. Using so much magic isn't good for one's health. I believe that is what I did for Link… Renado, I used the song of healing."

"Only a select few can make the song reality, Your Highness. You must be exhausted. Even in the time when magic was abundant, it took a great deal of energy to actually heal someone with it." Renado said, recalling information from the many books he had studied. He helped Zelda back to her bed, and after telling her to rest turned to Link. It wasn't that the shaman cared for Zelda more. In fact, all he wanted to do was make sure the young man beside him was alright. Though, as proper mannerism dictated, Renado was to make sure the princesses were alright first. A little impatiently, Renado offered Midna the third bed to rest on.

"No, I'm fine, thank you." Midna said plainly, not really caring about what Renado was saying. She just wanted him to leave so she could talk to Link. Zelda was already sleeping, so it wouldn't matter if she were here.

The man turned to Link, and smiled, "We thought we had lost you, boy." Wanting to skip being sentimental, as it made him uncomfortable, Renado turned away, and opened a cabinet. He produced a bottle filled with a violet liquid Link recognized as chuchu jelly. "Although you are healed, you still need your rest. Your body should still be quite exhausted from these past few days." He handed Link the bottle.

Link held it up and examined it. "Isn't this purple chu jelly?" he inquired with a slight grimace. The one time he had tried it, it didn't end so well. Midna giggled slightly at his expression. The stupid wolf had thought it was _red_ chuchu jelly. What with it being dark in the Lakebed Temple, Link didn't see that it was indeed purple, and not red. Besides, this was his first time seeing the slimy creatures, and he didn't really know how to distinguish them. All he knew was that they were good for various things, like healing or lantern oil. How he drank the disgusting thing was beyond Midna, but it supposedly acted just as good as red potion, so it had to make do for the time being. He drank about half the bottle before getting violently sick. He threw up into the murky, piranha-filled, water until he had nothing left. Even then, after all the stomach sickness, he had a slight fever, and was light headed. After that, Link made sure he was extra careful with potions and chu jelly alike.

"Yes," Renado answered with a slight smile, also remembering the purple chu incident. Link had stumbled into the inn, sick as a dog, and proclaimed it to be the chuchu jelly making him like that. "But this is different."

Link narrowed his eyes suspiciously, even though he knew the shaman would never dream of poisoning him. "How so?" Just because he wouldn't poison him, didn't mean it tasted very good.

Chuckling, Renado replied, "This is infused with medical herbs and blue chu jelly."

"Ew,"

"Aww, is the big brave knight afraid of a little medicine?" Midna teased, wagging her finger at Link, as if she were a mother reprimanding her child.

Link shot a look her way before gulping down the drink quickly. He nearly gagged on it. "Ugh…" Link said, sticking out his tongue.

"Here," Renado said, handing Link a cup of water.

After drinking the water, in hopes that it would tone down the after-taste, Link said, thinking out loud, "I thought you had no potions."

"That," Renado laughed, "is the remains of the chu that got too close to the children when they were outside."

"You killed it?"

"The children take after you more than you know. Talo was pretending to be you, saving Beth from the '_slimy ugly blob'_"

Link laughed too. His eyelids drooped, and he felt instantly drowsy. He turned on his side, facing the window and Midna, before yawning. "This is sleeping potion…" Link stated, automatically feeling exhausted.

"Yes, it is. Good night, Link." The inn keeper said quietly, nodding at Midna, before leaving the room.

"Link?" Midna called quietly, not wanting to wake Zelda. When he didn't respond she repeated it louder. "Link?" She was starting to get frustrated with the fact that the only time she could talk to him was when he was either half-asleep or drunk. Midna quickly changed her mind, and decided to be happy with the little time she had left with him.

"Yeah?" he answered sleepily.

Midna considered telling him her plan to break the mirror. "I, uh, goodnight." She said, hastily deciding to not tell him. She reasoned with herself; telling him would make it harder to say goodbye, but not telling him would be selfish. While caught up in her thoughts, Midna didn't hear Link say goodnight.

"Link, I've been meaning to tell you something. I –" Midna stopped herself upon hearing him snore faintly. He looked serene, cute even. Midna stared at him, watching the rise and fall of his chest. Not long ago he had looked similar: calm. Unnervingly calm. Unnervingly calm, and dead. But he was breathing now, and undoubtedly alive. He shifted in his sleep, rearranging himself so he'd more comfortable. Subconsciously, he pulled the sheet over his shoulder and whispered "Good night Midna…"

Sighing, Midna retreated to his shadows. _I guess I'll have to tell you tomorrow, then. _

* * *

The faint rays of the morning sun shone through the window. Zelda, after having a goodnight's sleep, was instantly awake. She loved the morning. Although it was quiet, Zelda could hear the shuffle of feet down stairs. It was either Renado – that kind man never got any sleep to himself - or his daughter Luda, whom Zelda had come to learn, was just as selfless. They were probably preparing breakfast for the inn. A few minutes later, as Zelda expected, Luda came up carrying three trays. She had incredible balance, as the third tray was balanced on her head.

"Good morning, Luda" Zelda said cheerfully

"Princess," the girl replied respectfully, curtseying as best as she could, while keeping the trays balanced. "I made you breakfast." Luda handed her one of the trays, and left Link his one on the side table beside his bed. She put the third tray on the chair, though she didn't know why her father had requested for her to bring up three. Princess Zelda and Link were the only ones there. Maybe one of them was really hungry. Zelda thanked her, which Luda responded to with a polite smile before heading out the door. The princess watched Luda leave, briefly wondering how she was Renado's daughter when the two looked nothing alike. And where was her mother?

Zelda ate the breakfast of egg and toast, and set her tray down on the side-table similar to Link's.

"Princess Zelda!" Renado called from another room. "The children have a surprise for you."

Smiling at Link before she left, Zelda met an eager looking boy at the door. The energetic one, Talo, grabbed her hand and pulled her to a room down the hall.

"Cover your eyes!" Zelda obliged, and entered the room, guided by Talo.

"SURPRISE!" Beth and Talo shouted. Zelda winced slightly at the sound.

"Luda and I fixed your dress." Beth said, proudly handing the Hyrulian the neatly folded outfit. Zelda inwardly sighed. _Back to that old thing. _It had been nice wearing the peasant's gown.

"Thank you, that was very nice of you," Zelda smiled, politely taking the mended garment and examining their handiwork.

"We washed it and stitched back up for you," Luda added shyly, informing the princess of what they had been doing.

"Yeah!" Beth gushed, obviously more excited than Luda was to fix Zelda's clothes, "We had lots of practice before. Whenever Link came back from his adventure his clothes would be torn. And really dirty too. Luda and I always fixed it for him, so we're really good at it now!" Beth pointed to the table where they had a basket filled with different coloured threads, needles and patches of fabric. Beside it was Link's forest green tunic, now looking almost new. It looked slightly brighter after being washed, and the large rips from when Link was cut were expertly stitched back together.

Renado took the initiative of dismissing the princess, "There is a bathroom down the hall, across from your room, if you wish to change."

"Thank you,"

She head back to the room she shared with Link and Midna to see if either were awake, and was surprised to see Link and Midna still asleep when she came back. Stifling a laugh, Zelda thought them both to be the same. Not morning people. She noticed that her tray was taken away, and in its place laid a clean towel. Zelda took it and head to the bathroom to change her clothes and have a much desired shower.

* * *

"Do you think he's awake?" Talo whispered rather loudly, energetic, and ignorant, as ever.

"With the way you're yelling, how could he not be?" His younger brother quipped back

"I'm not yelling!"

"Stop arguing and help me see, will you?" Beth said, paying no mind to their pointless fights.

The trio snuck in, even though Mr. Renado clearly told them to stay out last night. Thinking it was okay to, they tip-toed over to Link, trying their best to be quiet. They hadn't bothered to ask Colin to join them. They thought he would just tell on them and get them in trouble. All three troublemakers stopped in their tracks when Link turned in his sleep. He was now facing them. They stood perfectly still, as if Link would awaken to the slightest movement. Malo rolled his eyes, and began walking away.

"Malo!" Beth hissed, "Get back here!"

"He's still asleep," Malo replied plainly, having grown bored of their kid-like behaviour, despite being the youngest. Only after Malo left, did Beth and Talo let out their breath.

"That was close!"

"Shh!" Beth held her finger to her lips to emphasize the need for silence. "You are so loud sometimes! Now wait, I just need to see if he's okay." Beth snuck up to Link's bed, and was about to remove his blanket when he rubbed his eyes and yawned. The duo bolted out of the room, nearly ramming the princess over in the process.

"Sorry!" they chimed in unison before bolting down the hall to their room.

That aside, Zelda walked in the room and saw a very drowsy looking Link sitting up in bed. Giggling slightly, Zelda used a hand to cover her mouth, and hide her un-princess like behaviour. She couldn't really help it. He looked so tired, despite having a goodnight's rest, and was shirtless. Recently, she had been feeling more flustered in his presence. Very un-princess like of her indeed.

"Princess?" he asked, rubbing the sleepiness from his eyes, and staring at her from behind the mess of hair covering his face.

Zelda laughed at "sleepyhead" behaviour, "Really, there is no need to call me that. I would say we're on about the same level now, wouldn't you, _hero_?" She said the last part in a teasing voice.

"I won't call you princess if you don't call me hero anymore." Link replied with a smile.

"Deal,"

They laughed for a bit, before Link's stomach growled loudly.

"Oh, uh, excuse me…" Link said, thoroughly embarrassed, as his face turned red, "I don't think I've eaten anything since before I fought Ganondorf."

"Well then, eat up!" Zelda insisted, handing him the tray Luda had brought up a while ago. "Oh, where's Midna?" She added upon remembering the third plate.

"I think she's still asleep," Link joked, casting a sideways glance at his shadow. "And I thought I slept in late." The shadow seemed to flicker slightly, in a rhythmic way, as if it were snoring.

"Link," Colin called quietly, not wanting to disturb his older brother in any way. "Ilia wants to talk to you."

Link mentally slapped himself for not thinking of her sooner. He was so caught up in everything these past few days he hadn't remembered to talk to Ilia. "Thanks Colin," Link said, bracing himself for whatever Ilia was going to reprimand him for.

"I'll leave you to it then," Zelda commented, leaving with Colin to give Link and Ilia their privacy.

"Hey,"

Link looked up at the door. "Ilia!" He jumped out of bed and ran to greet his long-time best friend. He had seen her many times on his journey, so it wasn't like they were being reunited by any means, but it didn't mean Link hadn't missed her.

Ilia beamed at him, "It's finally over, isn't it?" she wrapped her arms around his torso, hugging him as best she could, despite their height distance. She pulled away just enough so that she could see his face. She looked up at him and continued, "You can come home now. _We_ can go home now."

There was no doubt about it; the two of them had liked each other for quite some time, though they were oblivious to it. Even the citizens of Ordon had known about it, and even at times tried to set them up together. Before all this happened, they spent almost all their free time together. Although they had yet to admit it to each other, they loved each other.

"Yeah… yeah we can," Link replied taking in the full reality of being able to go home. As nice as it seemed, Link couldn't get used to the idea of life at Ordon again. It almost seemed… boring. Something seemed missing, a void that was never there before ate at him and filled him with longing. A longing for the very adventure that he was plagued with from the beginning.

"Well, we're – the kids and I - are leaving tomorrow. We finally get to go back to Ordon Village!" Ilia stated happily. In a sudden change of emotions, her eyes filled with tears and she looked down. "I miss father, and the smell of hay, and the gusty Ordon wind. It feels like so long ago, I can barely remember… the way the dirt felt beneath my feet, the sunrise, everything." Ilia had a sad, distant, dreamy look on her face. She exhaled and snapped out of her wishful thoughts.

Looking up at Link again, Ilia instantly perked up. "You'll be coming with us, won't you?"

"I, uh, got to take care of something first." Link replied vaguely, scratching the back of his head. Midna had said that she needed to go back to her realm soon. Her people needed her, she had said, albeit sadly, though Link didn't think Midna liked it in the light world that much. He wanted to be there to wish her goodbye and tell her to visit soon. Besides, being the princess – soon to be queen - it may be a while before she visited again, so he needed to be there for her. Maybe, he'd go with her to the Twilight Realm for a bit. Little did he know, Link would be there longer than he thought.

"Oh." Ilia mumbled, disheartened, "Hero business, huh?"

Link smiled apologetically, "Something like that,"

"Well, don't be too long, okay?" Ilia scolded, back to her usual demeanor. "Now come on, the children have been waiting to play with you!" She grabbed him by the wrist, and began pulling him towards the door.

Link sighed, _there goes breakfast_. "Wait, don't I get to put a shirt on first?"

Rolling her eyes, Ilia laughed, "Beth and Luda fixed your tunic up for you. I'll be waiting outside."

"HYAAAH!" Talo yelled, thrusting his fake sword forward at the scarecrow. After being attacked by the bulbins in Ordon Spring, the children tried to become better at defending themselves, except for Malo, of course, who was too busy taking care of things at Malo Mart. They had made scarecrow dummies to practice on, much like the one Link had outside of his house. "I'm going to protect us all on the way back to Ordon!" he bragged.

In the background Malo was signing some papers with a Goron. "It's just until I come back…" said Malo, writing his name on the deed to his shop, Malo Mart. He took the Goron inside to discuss something further.

"Enough, already!" Beth exhaled, exasperated. "Give us a turn now!" She put her hands on her hips and stared at Talo waiting for him to move.

"Okay…" He grumbled, moving to the side to let Beth have her turn. Beth, who was still quite boastful about it, had gotten the Wooden Sword Link had previously owned. After Jaggle and Pergie grounded Malo and Talo for running after the monkey, Beth had gotten full ownership of the Wooden Sword.

"HEEEYAAAAAAH!" Beth shrieked as she stabbed the dummy multiple times. Throwing the sword down, Beth tightened the white ribbons around her arms and began punching the scarecrow. "And now I'm a Sheikah!"

Luda, who didn't have any weapon, joined in, "Yeah!" She exclaimed, mirroring Beth's movements. Ilia had told the girls about the Sheikah, a group of skilled fighters, and the founders of Kakariko Village. While they were interested in learning about the Sheikah, the boys were far more interested in swordsmanship, claiming that it was "_more fun to be Link_". Luda had even stitched on the Sheikah mark, the "crying eye", on the back of her clothes. It had taken a while, and Beth didn't have nearly as much patience as Luda did, so she settled for the arm bandages that made it easier to hit with your forearms. The girls continued this until they burst into a fit of giggles. Talo rolled his eyes at their girly behaviour.

Colin sat at the edge of the spring. Deciding that he should bring out his sword and shield now, Colin advanced towards the rest of his friends. The Ordon Sword and Shield: The best birthday gift Colin could have ever received. Back when Hyrule Castle was shrouded in the mysterious twilight, Colin had his eleventh birthday. Mr. Renado and the others planned a nice little birthday party for him, but it wasn't the same without Link. When it was night time, and almost everyone was asleep, Colin snuck out to the spring for a minute. He knew he wasn't supposed to be awake or outside at this time, but he was going to be quick. He stared up at the stars, just like Link and he had done back in Ordon so often. He picked out the constellations and pretended Link was there with him. When Link actually showed up the young boy had been so excited that he almost forgot to be quiet.

"_Happy birthday Colin," Link smiled, holding out the Ordon Sword and Shield. _

"_What's this?" Colin said, confused as to why Link was showing him the things his father had made. _

"_They're for you," _

"_They are?!" Colin gasped in disbelief. He held up the large shield and sword and Link helped him strap it on. _

"_You didn't think I'd forget your birthday, did you?" Link chuckled. _

"_No," Colin admitted truthfully, still in awe of the present._

"_Well, these are for you. I think you can put this to better use than I can." _

"_Thank you, Link!" Colin exclaimed, hugging him tightly. _

_Link laughed, "Now you'd better go to bed. I think we'll both get in trouble for being out here this late." _

Link had left to go back on his adventure after that. Colin had been so excited he had forgotten how late it was. He snuck back inside the inn, past Ilia and Renado to his room. He hid his gift underneath his bed and went to bed with a good conscience after seeing Link. Colin had kept his gift a secret until now, only taking it out to practice with when no one was watching. The last thing he needed was Talo trying to take the sword from him. Link had specifically said to be careful with it, and Talo was anything but careful.

"Can I have a turn?" Colin asked, holding his sword out in fighting stance like Link had showed them to.

"WHOA! That's Link's sword!" Talo shouted, eyeing Colin's weapon jealously.

"Yeah, how'd you get it?" Beth inquired, hands on her hips, as she usually did when she was demanding something.

"Link gave it to me," Colin stated quietly, not wanting to make a big deal about it.

"Lucky!" Talo exclaimed, pouting slightly that Link hadn't given it to him.

"Ooo, I want to see you use it!" Beth squealed, wondering how it felt to have Link's sword; probably pretty cool. Link was the hero, after all, and that in itself was beyond amazing to the children.

Colin stood in front of the fake enemy. Pretending that it was a real threat, Colin swiped at it viciously with the basic horizontal, vertical and diagonal sword slices that he and Talo learned. Colin remembered how Link had showed them the jump attack the day of the invasion. It was a risky move that neither Colin nor Talo were allowed to try. If done wrong, they could hurt themselves badly. Focusing on the memory, Colin mimicked the sword moments. He jumped up and yelled, "Hyaaaaaah!" The hat was smashed off the dummy's pumpkin head.

"Whoa!" Beth, Luda and Talo cried in unison.

"Wow, Colin! I'm impressed." Ilia praised, having come outside.

"Did you wake Link up?" Colin asked, dodging the compliment. _He is just like Link_, Ilia thought. _Can't take a compliment. _

"Yeah, he should be outside by now." Ilia thought out loud. She steered the conversation back to where it began. "All your practicing has paid off, Colin. Your dad would be so proud!"

Colin avoided her stare and blushed. Thankfully, Talo cut in, giving Colin an excuse not to answer. "Oh, look what_ I_ can do!" Talo blindly swiped his stick around, though it wasn't nearly as powerful as the other swords. Knowing he wasn't impressing anyone, Talo made an attempt at a jump attack. "Aww," Talo whined when he missed the scarecrow all together and fell down after trying a jump attack.

"Maybe if you opened your eyes when you used that _stick,_ you'd be able to hit it." Beth teased smugly, very much enjoying the fact that she had a _real_ sword and he didn't. Talo scoffed at her and turned away, not liking being the butt of her joke.

"Hey guys!" Link chirped happily upon seeing the kids practice with the swords he entrusted to them.

Ilia clicked her tongue impatiently, "What took you so long?"

"Hey, I had to eat breakfast too!" he replied, raising his arms defensively.

"Hey, Link, you know we've been practicing really hard to be like you!" Talo burst out, unable to contain his excitement. He wanted the hero to know just how much they had worked on their skills.

"Yeah, Luda and I learned the sheikah arts!" Beth added. Luda took this as her cue to jump back to back with Beth and scream their battle cry. "HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Link was taken aback at how excited Luda was acting. She was usually the calm one. Link smiled at Luda's "inner child."

Colin grinned from ear to ear, "And I've been using the sword you gave me!"

Link smiled mischievously at Ilia. "Do you guys want to play 'Rescue the Princess'?"

"YEAH!"

"What do you think you're doing? Ahhh! Link, let go of me!" Ilia yelled through a fit of laughter, as Link grabbed her by the waist and slung her over his shoulder.

"Come back here, you evil fiend!" Beth commanded with mock bravery.

Feigning malice, Link laughed evilly, "You'll have to come and get me then!"

Colin, Beth, Talo and Luda charged after Link, trying to surround him and rescue "Princess Ilia."

Sighing Renado watched the display with Hyrule's leader. "It seems our hero is still a boy at heart,"

"Indeed he is," Zelda smiled half-heartedly, wishing that she could be so carefree and enjoy herself like that.

Outside, Link fell dramatically to the floor. The kids cheered triumphantly upon rescuing the fair maiden, Ilia. They tried to pin him down by pressing his arms and legs to the floor, but Link suddenly jumped up and grabbed Colin, tickling him and demanding they give him back Ilia. He chased after the others, each one running away, screaming in fear of the "tickle torture" Link was dealing out. Eventually, they got him cornered near the spring and Ilia snuck up behind him, dunking him in the water. He resurfaced, and a splash fight ensued between the two. The kids eagerly joined in, and when everyone was thoroughly exhausted, and soaked, they got out of the spring.

"LET'S DO THAT AGAIN!" Talo panted through ragged breaths.

"No way, I'm exhausted!" Luda laughed, wringing the water from her short hair.

They all sat in the sun until their clothes dried. It took a while, and the autumn wind was slightly chilling, but they bide their time talking and telling funny stories about each other. Link sat outside even after everyone went inside. He sat on the spring's edge, bare feet in the cool liquid, feeling content.

"Midna?"

"Yeah?" she answered, not leaving his shadow.

"When were you planning on going back to your realm?"

"Umm, today, actually…"

"Can't you stay a little longer?" Link's eyes were pleading, though he knew she had to go.

_No, then it will be impossible to say goodbye to you…_ Midna thought, but instead said, "I wish I could, but my people need me,"

"I understand," There was a silence between the two, and Link decided to ask the question he had on his mind. "How long will it be before you visit us again?"

Midna cringed. That was the very question she had wanted to avoid! She thought about it for a minute before replying, "It may be a while," She lied. Well, not a complete lie, it would be a while, just much longer than Link thought. More like permanent.

"Oh, well I'll visit you soon then…" Link said. It was going to be hard getting used to not having Midna around all the time, but at least she wasn't leaving for good…

Midna felt like she had taken a dagger to her heart. "Y-yeah,"

"Hey," Link soothed, hearing Midna's voice crack, knowing that she may start crying, "It won't be that long,"

And the blade was being twisted.

"Are you okay, Midna?"

"Yeah," She sniffed, "I'm fine. Too bad I won't be here to watch your careless behind."

Link laughed. Oh, how she was going to miss his laugh. Tears filled her eyes, and Midna was grateful that she decided to stay in her shadow form where Link couldn't see her.

"Link, do you mind if we go now?"

"What? So soon? I didn't even get the chance to hang out with you today."

"I-I need to go soon, it's getting late," _Please, stop making this hard for me, Link. _

"Late? But it's only about 4 o'clock." Link argued, trying to convince his twili friend to stay longer.

"Link, please!" Midna snapped, unable to hide her frustration and sadness. "Let's just get Zelda and teleport there!" Why couldn't he understand that she needed to go?

Link was shocked at her tone, but decided to just do as she wished. "Alright,"

The Twilight Princess was angry at herself for getting so snappy with Link. It wasn't his fault she couldn't just tell him the truth. Midna was about to apologize to him when he walked into the inn. _This is it…_ Midna thought, and broke into tears. While in Link's shadow nobody could see her cry, so it didn't matter. She would cry now and be strong later.

* * *

An hour later they were in the Mirror Chamber. After Link and Zelda said a quick goodbye to their friends, Midna had warped both the princess and Link to the northern desert. Her heart was beating rapidly, and Midna was sure that the others could hear it. She stood beside the mirror, facing Link and Zelda. She turned her back to the gateway that led into her realm. She wanted to avoid thinking about it for as long a she could, though it was hard when the glaringly large stone slab was casting a shadow on her. The aforementioned Hyrulians made their way up the stairs. She was feeling miserable, and wanted so badly to stay, or better yet keep the gate open between the two realms. However, she was a princess, and a princesses' first duty is to her people which meant protecting their well being. That meant the mirror couldn't stay.

"Well… I guess this is farewell, huh?" Midna hinted, not being able to think of something else to say. "Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know." The gears in the portal continued humming, as if calling her towards it. "But… Never forget there's another world bound to this one." Midna certainly never could forget. Breaking the connection between the two realms was like ripping herself in half.

Link opened his mouth to say something, but Zelda started first. Her face was expressionless and stoic, icy blue eyes boring holes into the Twilight Princess. They seemed to berate her for not telling Link sooner, "Light and shadow are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other." Midna's lip trembled and Zelda's implied words. _Oh, Link…_ The Hyrulian shook her head slightly at Midna, as if telling her to not cry.

"I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world. They left it because it was there design we should meet." Midna kept her watery eyes focused on Zelda, even though she knew Link's eyes had not once left her. One wrong move, and Midna would be bawling on the floor, and any plans of destroying the mirror would be thwarted. She couldn't afford to look at him now. "Yes… that is what I believe."

Midna met her gaze, "Zelda… Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you, then maybe you'll do alright." There was so much about this light world she was going to miss: seeing the stars, all the bright colours, the people… and Link. No, she averted her thoughts from him, she had to stay strong just a little bit longer.

Link smiled at Midna, catching her attention. She loved his smile… and that was probably the last time she'd see it. Midna walked to where the steps would appear and turned around. Staring deeply into Link's wild blue eyes, she whispered, "Thank you," Continuing in a louder voice, Midna said, "Well the princess spoke truly: as long as that mirror's around we could meet again… Link…" A single tear slipped out of her eye. "I –" The twili stuttered, trying to think of the right way to phrase her goodbye. She pushed her tear towards the mirror, knowing that it would be strong enough to break it for her. "See you later…"

The tear passed through the center, and the cracks began spider webbing across its surface.

The two unsuspecting people, Link and Zelda, swiveled around abruptly to face the mirror. The sharp cracking sound continued, and Link gasped when he registered what Midna was doing.

"Midna?!" he cried, his face a mixture of hurt, surprise and confusion. He watched her run up the stairs towards the mirror, dumbstruck. Midna smiled at him before she began dissipating into white particles.

"MIDNA!" Link yelled, sprinting up the stairs as fast as he could to catch up with her. By the time he reached the top, Midna was already gone. The Mirror of Twilight shattered, and without giving it a second thought, Link jumped through the portal.

_Please, oh, please let me not be too late!_ He prayed, before he felt a sharp pain on his side and he exploded into black squares.

* * *

Midna reappeared in the Twilight Realm. The sky was unusually dark and cloudy, and it fit her mood perfectly. The twili felt the hot tears streak down her face, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing her heart away. She sucked in short, shallow breaths, trying to control her tears, but to no avail. Her bottom lip trembled, and Midna hastily wiped her arm across her face to dry it. "I'm so sorry, Link..." Midna wanted nothing more than to keep the mirror there, to be able to see him whenever she liked. What she wouldn't give to see him one more time. His betrayed expression would haunt her forever, plaguing her incessantly. She walked slowly away from the castle, towards the cliff. She stared out past the horizon blankly, grief devouring her from the inside out.

Midna snapped her head around. The familiar sound of distorted time and space rang out, loud and clear._ A portal... _

Link materialized in the center of the gold marking on the floor. Instantly, it's colour receded towards the center where the Triforce was. It shone brightly for a moment before all the light faded away. Link groaned and pushed himself up onto his knees and forearms.

"LINK?!"

The said hero didn't move. For a second he was paralyzed with pain. He looked down and saw a piece of the Mirror of Twilight protruding from his side. Not just any piece either; this was the Triforce from the center of the mirror. He whimpered as it embedded its self in further in his abdomen. Shakily he raised his tunic and saw the tip of the Triforce submerge itself inside him. The wound closed itself and the scar left behind began glowing blue. Shakily, he got to his feet and faced Midna, smiling weakly at her.

"Link, you idiot!" Midna fumed. When she had said she wanted to see him again, she didn't mean by taking him out of the Light world forever! "Don't you understand why I didn't tell you about my plan to break the mirror?! I knew you'd follow me! Ugh, you idiot! There is no way back, you'll be stuck here forever!"

Link looked down at his feet in shame, "You should have told me. I wouldn't have came with you if you didn't want me to."

"Stupid wolf." Midna cried, hugging him briefly. She wiped her tears on her cloak. "Don't you realize how much you just gave up? There is _no_ way back. I destroyed the mirror for good."

"I couldn't lose you forever,"

"You really just gave up everything, you know." Midna realized, still trying to comprehend that Link had given up all that he loved just to not lose her. In a way she was touched, but was to angry to tell him that. "You're going to be awfully lonely here, Link. You won't fit in with the rest of us. The people of this realm _despise_ light dwellers. Oh, Link..." Midna cried, her heart breaking in two as she saw Link's face. He was staring at the ground, tears in his eyes. Link had rarely ever cried, and seeing him now like this was just too much for her. "Why didn't you just stay there?"

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed overhead. A few drops of rain started falling, splashing loudly against the ground. Midna grabbed Link by the wrist and began tugging him towards her castle, trying to get there before the rain started pouring.

"Come on!" she called over the roaring wind.

The man in green staggered a bit, feeling dizzy and uncoordinated. He clutched at his throbbing abdomen with one arm and brought his hand up to his head. The edges of his vision blurred, black spots hindering his vision. He squinted through the wall of rain, trying to make sense of what Midna was shouting and gesturing about. The thunder rumbled again, this time menacingly, and Link understood what she meant. He ran after her towards the castle.

Midna slammed the door shut, shivering in her soaked clothes. "Link, what's wrong with you?" She noticed the dazed look in his eyes and lightened her tone. "Are you okay?"

Link stumbled a bit and rubbed his temple. "Yeah, just a headache..." he lied, but Midna decided not to press him for answers.

Sighing, the Twilight Princess guided Link down the hall. "Let's just find you a room to rest in. It's been a long day."

* * *

Princess Zelda looked at where the mirror once stood. Her eyes were wide, heart beating rapidly, and mouth open. _He – he left?!_ All that was left was a cold slab, and the frame of the mirror. She dropped to her knees, ignoring that her dress was being cut, even though it was mended so recently. The small little tears in the fabric made her dress look ragged. The air seemed void of its usual heat, and instead seemed cooler. The wind whipped around angrily, a little harshly, as if there was something missing and it was trying to fill in the gap. Yes, there was something missing. _Someone _was missing, and it was if the goddesses themselves were angry about it. Of course they were; their chosen hero had just jumped through the portal, to the land of people they had banished, connection broken, without any way to get him back. Why wouldn't they be angry? Wind was Faroe's element, and Link was her favourite. It made sense that she was upset.

Sadly, Zelda picked up one of the mirror pieces; one of the many scattered shards. She ran her gloved fingers over its smooth surface. The lone Hyrulian let it drop from her hand, to the hard marble floor, with a sharp clang. It broke into pieces. Not that it mattered; she was in a sea of broken shards. Burying her face in her hands, Zelda sobbed. Why? Why did he have to leave too? Hyrule needed it's hero. He was going to be the head of her army, mayor of Ordon, and so much more. Zelda cried until she had no more tears left. He would have been the country's perfect king. Hyrule had been without one long enough, and now Link, the only man she'd ever considered sharing the throne with, was gone. When her father had taken it upon himself to find someone for Zelda to marry she had out right refused. None of the suitors even came close to Link, and Zelda was sure she wouldn't let her brother, Sheik, be king. He was banished for a reason. But did that mean she loved him? Or was she just putting her country ahead of herself again? She looked up at the sky. It was twilight. The princess wiped off her tears, and with new-found determination, began collecting the broken shards of the mirror. There were hundreds of pieces, but that didn't stop her. She would return Link to the light world if it was the last thing she did. And so, she began the daunting task of restoring the Mirror of Twilight.

* * *

**So, what's up? I know this chapter is way longer than my other ones, but I felt bad about not updating in a while. I was aiming for about 5,500 words, but somehow ended up with this 9,500 word monstrosity of a chapter. Sorry if really long chapters aren't your thing, but I don't think that I'll be writing such large ones regularly (unless you guys want me to) and I couldn't really find anywhere to end this.  
**

**Anyways... Wow... Nobody said a thing about Link dying. **

**On to the thanks! **

**CupcakePride101, thanks for following my story and always being the first to review! And yes, Zelda is acting a bit mysterious... ;) **

**veggiefruit, you know how you said that you were playing Majora's Mask a lot? Well, I hope you caught the "subtle" MM hint I added at the beginning. I added it just for you! **

**14shadowrose... Oh my goodness, you rock! Thank you so much for going in and reviewing on all three chapters, and then following AND favouriting me! All your positive comments made me so happy it probably is the reason I typed at break-neck speeds to get this chapter done! YOU ARE AWESOME! :DD **

**Selphie Kinneas 175, thank you for reassuring me I was doing fine and that the characters weren't a little OOC. I was a little worried about it until you helped! :) **

**Let me know what you think of this chapter! :D  
**


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